How to Scale UK Expansion in 2026

As a result of the introduction of the UKLR sourcebook in July 2024, both the London Stock Market (LSE) and FTSE Russell made substantial modifications to their guidelines. In July 2024, the LSE confirmed amendments to its Admission and Disclosure Standards to reflect the collapse of the previous premium and basic listing segments into the brand-new business business category.

It then provided a summary and FAQs verifying its view when the final UKLR sourcebook was released in July 2024. Among the measures proposed as part of the Edinburgh Reforms in December 2022 was the facility of the Accelerated Settlement Taskforce, chaired by Charlie Geffen. The goal of the taskforce was to consider the potential advantages of the UK moving to a T +1 securities settlement cycle and detail how this change might be implemented.

On 19 February 2025, the UK government revealed it accepted the suggestion and the UK market means to move to a T +1 settlement cycle on 11 October 2027. Among the suggestions from the UK Secondary Capital Raising Review led to the facility in July 2022 of the Digitisation Taskforce, chaired by Sir Douglas Flint.

Future-Proofing UK Workforce Strategies in 2026

In July 2023, the taskforce published an Interim Report (read our summary here) that made a variety of recommendations, including: legislation must be advanced, and company short articles of association altered, as soon as practicable to stop the issuance of brand-new paper share certificates; the government needs to bring forward legislation to need dematerialisation of all share certificates at a future date; the federal government should seek advice from provider and financier agents on the preferred disposition of "residual" paper share interests and whether a time frame must be imposed for the identification of untraced Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs); andintermediaries should have an obligation, as a condition of involvement in the clearing and settlement system, to put in location typical innovation that allows them to react to UBO demands from companies within a really short time frame.

ANSR July UK PRs

Digitisation would target noted companies with a view to minimizing expenses and waste, and simplifying shareholder interaction. The report proposes additional measures to make sure that UBOs within the intermediated securities chain would have the ability to work out investor rights that are presently just ensured for registered shareholders, as well as measures to boost communication in between business and UBOs.